No Guarantees
by visceraEffect
Summary: Survival is never easy. Especially when you're constantly on guard, constantly moving, always watching your back. The world is different now. Eat or be eaten, winner takes all. Morals only bring you down, but the people with them, whether they're willing to risk it all to change the system is what will impact the world. R&R :3
1. Tell me, where've you been?

**A/N:** I deleted the other Pokemon story of mine, unfortunately. There were too many inconsistencies with the OCs, especially with the past of most of them, to fit them into that story, and I didn't want to PM their authors to change them, what with me already accepting the OCs…SO I TOOK THE WORST POSSIBLE PATH AND DELETED IT AND MADE ANOTHER ONE. But it's summer, so I'll be finishing most of my OC stories during this period, hopefully!

I don't own Pokemon! Just my OCs! Enjoy Chapter 1!

**.**

* * *

_I want to live,  
__I want to die,  
__I want to have a name to call my own._

* * *

**_._**

**.**

The sky was clear, for once.

There wasn't a lot of smoke today, which I'm glad for. It was rather dusty lately, which made traveling a lot harder. Not to mention, my flashlight was dimming and I was running out of spare batteries. The clunky version I was using was a little out of date and used a lot more resources than the later models.

But, I didn't have enough materials to sell. Nothing valuable at least. Except for my friend.

He was hanging in the little ball swinging by my waist. Sleeping, as usual.

He was the only thing that really kept me sane in this insane world. Kept me sane when everything was silent and the only thing that could talk were the voices in my head and _him_. However, a majority of people would think living as a vagabond was stressful, but I think it also kept me free in some way.

The people tied down to a makeshift town tended to die earlier, anyway.

Despite the blue sky, the rest of the landscape was mostly the same. The mounds of rubble and crumbling stone structures still littered the area, even though most of the land was forest now. The roads deteriorated enormously over the past few months; I swore it was asphalt, but now it was just a lot of dirt.

Most of everything here was dirt. It's strange to hear dirt crunching underneath my feet, but the ground wasn't just dirt now; even stone was reduced to powder after the attack. But because of that attack, sometimes I'm lucky enough to find some kind of metal on my travels.

Kind of like now.

Out of the corner of my eye, something glimmered. _Nothing_ glimmered out here on the roads, unless it was something valuable. Maybe it was copper. Hope silently swelled in my empty stomach, unlike the constant growling piercing the peaceful air.

"Come on out, buddy," I clicked the button on the Pokeball and a bright light flashed for a moment, dying away to reveal the only friend I've had for a long time. The only contact with a living being for months, actually.

My Zangoose bent down on all fours, his eyes perusing the area around me, fur on end. Too many times have I been ambushed by rogues in similar positions as I. Apparently, I take a long time releasing my Pokemon, and when I do, I let down my guard.

But he's always there with his claws, always there to protect me for when I can't protect myself.

"I think there's some metal around here, I saw it shining earlier," I tightened my ponytail, readying myself for the hike up the mountain of rubble. "Might be a pole of some kind."

Zangoose growled, but prowled up with me, his expression the same angry expression that normally dominated his features. It wasn't like he was angry at me; it was the neutral expression that he had.

It made me wonder what my neutral expression was. Was I always mad? Or maybe I just looked indifferent? I hadn't seen a mirror for a long time, since maybe the last camp I stopped at to sell my goods.

As both of us finally made it to the top, I dug around the shining scrap of something. I could feel the dirt sticking in my fingernails, but it didn't make a lot of a difference, since my fingernails were already grimy. I managed to dig around it and Zangoose sniffed at it curiously, his nose almost touching the metal.

Turns out it was part of a larger pole. It mostly surprised me that it was intact.

Now I just had to get it out of there…

Zangoose looked at me with an exasperated expression, then at a high-speed, burrowed around the pole, clearing out a large portion of the pole.

"...I forgot you had Dig, huh…" I smacked my forehead and Zangoose just shook his head disappointedly. Sometimes, I forget that things are a lot different now. "Well, now we can split it up into smaller pieces, with those claws of yours."

In a swift move, he sliced the section of the pole with Crush Claw, the separated parts clanging to the ground loudly. Suddenly, the area felt a lot quieter than it was before.

"Hold it, Zangoose." I pressed my lips together, eyes squinting. There wasn't anything amiss, but…something felt wrong. Obviously. He looked around with me, his ears pricking up.

"_Zangoose,_" he hissed, and with his claw, pointed at the distance. People were coming. Loud, rowdy people. Those were the types to steal from others, because they thought they were stronger, just with numbers. Those were also the type of people I avoided like the plague. All they did was take from others.

"Alright, gotta hide, gotta hide…" I looked around rapidly. There was nothing to hide behind except for the huge mounds of rubble, but they would definitely be checking the piles out. Then again, better something than nothing.

Piling dirt back onto the metal pole, I hid, pulling Zangoose close to me, feeling the rise and fall of his chest against mine. It felt a little warmer, but maybe that was just the sweat of my palms against his fur. He growled lowly, but didn't resist the squeezing of my arms around him. The people obviously were a danger if he wasn't trying to get away from me.

"God, everything is great out here in the open, huh?" They were loud, something that I never was. Irritation boiled in my veins.

"Man, living without those _rules_ really satisfies the body!" Someone yelled and several birds fluttered from the overgrown trees on the sides of the path. "Who would ever wanna go back to the camps?"

"Not me!"

Raucous, annoying laughter. Zangoose gave me a warning stare when my fists curled up. I wanted to punch them so much…

In my angry daze, I forgot that the metal pipe was supposed to be snug in my arm. I felt it slipping from between my arms and scrambling to grab it, I kicked several rocks from the pile, watching in horror as they rolled down, crackling all the way.

Well, I'm screwed.

"You hear that?"

"Sounded like a little _rat, tryin'a get by us_…"

Their voices were getting louder and the hairs on the back of my neck rose. There was no way we could get by without a fight, and I wasn't sure whether or not they had weapons on them. A gun was probably the worst case scenario and I couldn't risk that. Zangoose's tail was bushing up and I reached inside my jacket, fingering the handle of the hidden knife.

I heard the crunching of rocks underneath their heavy feet and my heart rate accelerated.

Everything seemed to slow down once they reached the end. They were turning to look at me, and with a leap, I whipped the knife out and reached for his neck. I watched with a satisfied smirk as his face contorted in surprise and fear when my arm hooked around his neck.

When I glanced to the side, Zangoose had the other guy tackled, his claws at his throat, hissing like mad.

"S-shit! Bitch, get offa me!" The guy struggled wildly, until I showed him the knife and hovered it above his stomach.

"Lay it off," I snarled in his ear. "Leave!"

"F-fine! W-we're going!" He was stuttering uncontrollably, but the second I let go of him, he cackled and whipped out a longer knife. It gleamed and I pressed my lips together. Thankfully, Zangoose was holding off the other guy. By now, it was clear they didn't have Pokemon, which was common more in the camps than with the wanderers.

They must've been through a lot to survive for however long they had been wandering. Wild Pokemon had gotten a lot stronger and weren't very afraid of people now, which meant seeing a lot more bits of people on the various paths.

"You're so stupid!" He barked and waved his weapon around in front of him. "Come closer and I'll cut your friend here! He'd sell for a nice price!"

He was edging towards Zangoose, with that knife still extended and a cold sweat chilled me. It was impossible for Zangoose to concentrate on two struggling attackers, especially in the position he was in.

"Like hell am I gonna let you!"

I tackled the other guy before he could cut Zangoose, but in the process, the man's knife sliced my shoulder cleanly. At first there was no pain except for a sharp sting and the stench of salt hitting my nose. In that short period of time, I yanked the knife from his grip and stood over him, my foot crushing his chest.

But then the pain hit me. A throbbing overcame me and my shoulder stung like a thousand beestings'.

"Shit…" I muttered lowly, swaying off of the guy. He was coughing madly, unlike his petrified partner. Zangoose hadn't killed him, thankfully, probably just scared the pants off of him.

I pointed the tip of the knife to both of them, growling, "Don't you dare come back for us."

Zangoose scampered off to grab the metal pipe that had dropped and he waddled on two feet back to me, sticking the rod into my backpack until it disappeared. I guess we didn't get as much as we wanted to.

He eyed the seeping wound and growled something under his breath. "_Zangoose…Zan…"_

Although I saw him licking his own wounds, it was clear he was hesitant to do the same to me. Did he fear it would hurt, or did he not want to taint himself with human blood? I scrunched my face up and with my uninjured arm, scratched his head fondly.

"Don't worry, we should be near the camp. I can ask for help there," I forced out a grin, then rifled through my pack for some bandages. There was a strip left, barely enough to wrap around my shoulder, but it would have to do.

I needed to get to that town fast, then.

**.**

**.**

* * *

_I wait with this final thought, that no one is my friend. Humans, at least._

* * *

**A/N:** I'm accepting OCs! :D Just like the last story, but I'll be finishing this one, guaranteed! Please follow the form and don't c/p your other OC onto a PM and send it to me...I lose information that I need, and you don't get the joy of molding another character out of nothing for me to use :)

**This takes place in what's left of Unova, but all region Pokemon are accepted. However, moving from region-to-region is limited unless you're part of the rich world, in which case you're probably not a trainer. Just keep that in mind when you're writing the past section.**

Here's the form: _(Accepting through PM only! Also, delete the stuff in parentheses if you're sending them to me!)_

**Name:  
****Age: **(preferably around 17-40)  
**Gender:  
****Appearance:** (keep in mind that this is a post-apocalyptic type fic, so nothing is going to be of really good quality, unless you're the rich kind of person, but if it's not fitting with the rest of your character, I'll just notify you to change it)  
**Personality:** (everyone has their flaws, everyone has their strengths, if something is off about them, I'll ask for additional info)

**Family:** (basic information about their parents, siblings)  
**Past:** (refer to the apocalypse as the Attack, I guess; it's kind of a vague topic, but think of the Attack as all of the regions being destroyed by violent weather, death, disaster-like things caused by some mystical power?)

**Pokemon:** (limit of 2)  
[For each Pokemon, put **Personality, Moveset** (up to 6 moves), **History w/ Pokemon**]

**Strengths:  
****Weaknesses:  
****Fears:**

**Misc. Info:** (whatever you want me to know about them, quirks, things they do when they're nervous, etc.)

* * *

_R&R, makes me happy to see people commenting and reviewing my work, whether flames, constructive criticism, or praise!  
-Vis_


	2. Someone, help?

**A/N:** So I'm not really used to writing in first-person. Forgive me for any errors, haha. I'm still accepting OCs, and also, thank you to the following for sending me OCs:  
**reven228  
Red Alfa  
Apostle of Regeneration **(long name there!)  
**ObiwanDS  
****Seth98  
****Dame** **Rivere**  
and **K**.** E. Holt!  
**

If you haven't sent in an OC yet, don't worry, I'm still accepting them! Thanks for the reviews, hopefully I'll get more feedback from readers soon! Anyway, I don't own Pokemon, just my own OCs.  
Enjoy!

Edit: I will be taking a break until after July 11! Sorry!

**.**

* * *

_Ending up stuck in forever,  
__Ending up lost,  
__Living with that guilt._

* * *

**.**

**.**

Zangoose was starting to get worried. It was obvious by the way he was constantly fluffed up and his constant glancing towards my shoulder.

To be honest, I was starting to get worried too. It had been two days since I got the injury, and the bandage was absolutely useless. What was wrapping the wound was a piece of my sweatpants that I cut with the small scissors I always carried with me.

"You hungry?" I rifled through my backpack. There was still food, thankfully. Just some pieces of Pidove jerky, but that would last us for a while.

Zangoose didn't reply.

He simply turned up his nose and continued walking without another word.

"Sheesh, give me a little less attitude, can't you?" I teased my Pokemon lightly, catching up with him. He wasn't on his fours anymore, surprisingly. "We've been together since...forever, anyway."

His tail flicked me softly and a small smile spread on my face. He was silent, most of the time, so I learned how to read his movements more. Honestly, his actions tended to be more comforting than his normal hissing. Maybe he knew that and chose not to talk.

The path was getting newer, though. As I stared at the ground, the edges of the road were getting more defined, the dirt more packed on the sides.

"Hey, Zangoose, was there a settlement close to here before?"

He whipped his tail from side to side, his expression pensive. But then he shook his head with a grunt.

"...'Cause the road's getting better, so I thought—"

Something rustled from behind us and Zangoose whipped around with a hiss.

"_Zangoose!"_

"_Galll…"_

A black shadow leapt out from the trees, hissing with the same ferocity as Zangoose. My hand flew to the empty Pokeball at my belt.

But the light revealed a spider-like Pokemon, covered with electric yellow fur. Blue eyes darted from my Pokemon to me, then back. Its back was half colored light purple, while its limbs not covered by fur was the same bright blue as its eyes.

"Galvantula!"

A feminine voice called out and I narrowed my eyes. It should've been obvious to me that the Galvantula wasn't wild. Joltik didn't live in this forest region anyway. I released the empty Pokeball.

From the woods, a blonde woman emerged. She couldn't have been that old, maybe a little older than me. I was only…I didn't even remember, but I knew I was under twenty. All the days...months, years blended together and to be honest, I didn't even know what day of the week it was. The woman finally noticed me and jumped back. Her eyes narrowed and she slowly stood behind her Pokemon, a white cocoon in her arms.

Despite her wariness, I couldn't take her seriously. She looked older than me, but seemed younger, in some way. Her cold eyes showed her maturity, but her round face looked like it belonged to a child…

"Zangoose, calm down," I reached out for him, but he batted my hand away with a claw-sheathed paw.

"_Zan….Zangoose..!"_ His red-tinted eyes glared at me. I knew how to defend myself, and I knew when to discern danger from fake danger, so I felt a little miffed. Zangoose was acting like an overprotective father.

The woman just watched, scooting backwards, with her Galvantula still in fighting mode.

"Look, they're not attacking first! And there's no way she'd be able to attack me without her Galvantula. Look at those arms—"

"I...I can hear you!" She called out, her voice wavering.

Galvantula's hissing became louder, but it still didn't move to attack. With one last glare at me, Zangoose's fur smoothened and he sheathed his claws, slightly regretfully. Did he really want to fight so badly? I rolled my eyes internally.

"Sorry about that. Zangoose is jumpy, since we were attacked earlier. As long as you don't attack us, we won't attack you…" I hoped that was sufficient. I hadn't seen a wary, somewhat amiable person in a long time. Most of the people on the road were rude or attacking; there wasn't much of an in-between nowadays.

She lowered her head slightly, as if nodding, without the actual nod up. But other than that, she didn't seem like the type to really talk. I briefly wondered if she was wandering, like me, but that would've been prying if I asked.

"By the way...do you have any spare bandages? My shoulder's a little…" I indicated to the soaked piece of my sweatpants.

The blonde still didn't reply, only gave me a glance with a look in her eyes that I couldn't decipher.

"S-sorry…" With that, she took off, faster than what I expected. With that skinny frame, I was surprised she could even run. Even Zangoose was startled by the quick scuttling of the trio.

They were gone before we could even get information, or rather, get anything useful from them.

She seemed a little scared though. Of me? Of something else? I couldn't tell. I doubted that even if I asked her, she would've told me. It was probably nothing; she looked like the type to get scared about everything. Zangoose shrugged and turned around, falling back onto his four limbs. He seemed a little more tired than usual, perhaps from the tension. Fights really took the energy out of a person.

We continued trudging along the path, a little slower than before, though..

The sun burned into my shoulder and parts of my face. Without my sweatshirt, most of me was exposed to the sunlight and sunscreen didn't really...exist, or wasn't available to me, at least. If I wasn't careful, I'd be stuck with a rather painful sunburn. Which I had experienced before and it was one hundred percent absolute pain, especially when traveling under the Unovan sun.

"Zangoose, wanna get my sweatshirt for me? The sun is a huge shit today," I breathed out heavily, leaning backwards for him to reach the purple rag-like piece of clothing.

He growled, but swiped it for me, throwing it so that it landed over my head messily.

"Thanks, I guess," I laughed lightly and he even let out a snort. Looked like he was enjoying himself as well, despite the grumpy noise.

As we walked and as I cut off a part of the sleeve to wrap my shoulder, the road was definitely widening. There was an increasing amount of tree stumps on the sides of the path, which meant people were using wood. A clear sign that a settlement was nearby. I couldn't help but feel hope swelling in my stomach. Maybe someone there would pay for the metal rod so I could get actual bandages…

Before I could speak, I spied something that was completely foreign. It looked like a black spearhead, but it was far, far away.

"What the heck is that?" I pointed at the black spire that rose over the horizon of the road. Zangoose stared at it for a moment, but didn't respond verbally. The fur at the back of his neck was bristling slightly.

"I really need to get to a camp, so I'm just..hoping, you know?" The words just tumbled out of my mouth and I forced myself to shut up. I was sick of Pidove jerky. Bandages were my priority. Healing salve was a plus, if I could find it. I fiddled with the loose part of my backpack nervously as we headed closer to the spire.

Then, it came into view. The black thing was like a tower.

Actually, it _was_ a tower. What surprised me was the rest of it. It wasn't just a camp I was looking at.

It was a huge, huge _city_.

Even in the daylight, light was flashing from almost every inch of the place. It looked so strange against the backdrop of forest and gray mounds of rubble and dust. The city looked like it wasn't even harmed by the Attack, or maybe it was built after it, I didn't know. I had never seen it before, which kind of scared me.

But it wasn't like I traversed this side of Unova often, so in the time I was gone, it was probably erected then…

When I looked over, Zangoose had a strange expression. It was like a mix of discomfort and repulsion, but also curiosity. I couldn't help but share one of those expressions, the latter. It was a city! A word that was demolished along with everything that made a city a city! There were probably people that could help and judging by the size, there were a lot of them. Not to mention, it looked like it was flourishing quite well.

It was like an open invitation, so who wouldn't take it?

"C'mon, Zangoose, maybe I'll find bandages there and more food. No more Pidove jerky for every meal!" Excitement made me yell instinctively, so when I realized I could hear my own echo in the wind, I quickly covered my mouth. It was almost taboo to be loud and I already broke that.

I could feel Zangoose's angry glare digging into my back and I sheepishly crept forward towards the city. However, I paused when I heard Zangoose growling.

"Something the matter?"

There was nothing around. Nothing but rustling trees, light wind, and the city up ahead.

"Is it the city?" I neared him, reaching out to ruffle his head, but he jerked away with a grunt. "Yeah, it's the city, isn't it? As soon as we get there, we can just get what we need and leave, okay?"

"You won't be able to leave."

I whirled around, squeezing my fingers together so hard I could feel the thumping of my heartbeat. Two times today! Two times we were snuck up on! I was getting frustrated.

"Holy shit, can you guys stop with the following people? Swear to Arceus...!" From the forests, a figure completely clothed in black emerged. The first thing I noticed was the rifle on her back and the hairs on my neck stood on end.

Zangoose snarled loudly, crouching on all fours with bloodlust in his eyes.

"W-Who are you." My question came out like a statement and my hands began to quiver, the heartbeat in my ears thumping louder and louder.

The figure raised its hands in a surrender signal.

"I'm not here to hurt you," it spoke, but I didn't drop my guard. The figure's voice was feminine, so I believed it was a she. My assumption was only furthered when she took off her hood, revealing dark hair and striking features. "You can call me Crow."

"Okay, Crow," I spat. "What's up with the city and why can't I get supplies from there?" Just to be safe, I drew my knife and I watched her scan me. Sizing me up. Wondering whether or not she could bring me down...

Zangoose made a noise and her attention was diverted again.

"Inside are things you wish to never see, I guarantee you. They hate Pokemon in there," she spoke in a curt, but almost disdainful way. It made my blood boil. "Whatever supplies you need, I can supply."

It was all shady. I couldn't trust anyone, especially a person in all black with...of all weapons, _a rifle_, on her back. A mercenary? A soldier? There was no government anymore, so it was impossible that she worked with a higher-up.

I growled out, "I can't trust you..."

Slowly backing away, I carefully eyed her. Her hands were still in the air, but the nonchalant, unemotional expression on her face betrayed nothing.

Then, she called out, "Don't blame me if you go inside. I warned you." As fast as lightning, she sprinted back into the forest where she came from. A soundless, speedy escape. The only thing that remained of our meeting was the leaf that was lodged loose by her movements.

"These people seriously run fast," I commented dryly, then turned around. Zangoose grunted in agreement, but what he didn't seem to be hyped about was going to the city. I didn't know why.

"Zangoose," I spoke, getting his attention. He glanced my way. "Want to go back into the Pokeball?" I wiggled the chain that was attached to my belt with the red-and-white ball dangling from it.

"_Zaaaan..."_ He hissed and twitched his nose. A clear no. I sighed.

"Then can you not look so creeped out by the city? It's making me feel uncomfortable too," I walked faster, turning my nose up. I could hear his padding speed up to catch up to me, and in a few moments, his furry body slammed into my legs softly.

"_Zangoose..."_ His hissing was softer as his tail gently prodded at my calf, before swishing around my leg.

"It's okay, buddy," I smiled softly. "I'll try to take the littlest time possible in there?"

He blinked, nodded, and then separated himself from me. He got his point across, which was his goal in the first place. But my leg seemed a little colder without him so close.

Before I realized it, we were a lot closer to the city now.

Huge, tall walls surrounded the area, almost like a prison. Black and wrought with some reflection-less metal, they seemed really ominous. But the inside seemed so cheery, so there was no way it was as dangerous as what Crow deemed it to be.

However, her words echoed in my mind.

_They hate Pokemon in there._

"You might...want to get back into the ball, Zangoose," I grimaced, not making eye contact with him. I could already hear his low hissing as I talked, and sure enough, an angry hiss came from him.

"I can't help but...Crow said they hated Pokemon..." Reasoning normally worked, but Zangoose wasn't relenting. His claws sheathed and unsheathed repeatedly, the anger radiating from him. This wasn't going to work, was it?

I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking. I didn't trust Crow, so why did I listen to those words? Was it just not my brain listening to her, but my gut instinct? I didn't know which part of me to trust...

"Alright, fine, you can stay out. But make sure no one sees you!"

The little sucker almost grinned self-contentedly and the grimace resurfaced on my face. I had a hard time not giving in to Zangoose. Well, not only because he was my only friend, but also because he did some mad damage with those claws and teeth.

Surprisingly, there was no one on duty by the gate. It struck me as weird. Why bother with walls when you didn't even need guards?

Zangoose was acting strange too. He was almost off-balance by his own shaking limbs. His reddened eyes were flickering from side-to-side nervously, his size almost doubling by his fur expansion.

Suddenly, with a soft yowl, he took off like a rocket, leaving me behind.

"W-what the heck?!" I bit out, trying to keep my voice softer. The city was almost completely silent, except for place that was sending spotlights and explosions of light, color, and sound.

Everyone seemed to be there, and I gently pushed my way through with my elbows.

_"Do you think he'll survive this round?"_

_"The other guy is ruthless, really, so my bet's on him."_

_"What a pain. Just kill 'em for not having the money and the rich win. It's a great scenario."_

_"That's barbaric! You always play with your food...but it's fun, I admit!"_

I pushed my way through, my head tilted so high up, it felt like I was being suffocated. Zangoose wasn't in sight and I felt my stomach churning. Too many people...

When I looked up, there were so many TV screens. Large, spanning at least more than five feet in length, the TV showed a man, quivering, _literally quivering and sweating and crying_, as a multi-colored wheel spun in front of him. What I noticed next was the lonely-looking pile of metal beside him.

In realizing what it was did I recoil.

_It was a Klingklank. At least, the remains of one._

"What shall our little failure choose?" A high-spirited, cheerful voice rang out. From a curtained side of the arena-like stadium, a tall, tall man walked in. His face was probably covered by the mask he was wearing. The man gave out a shitty vibe, a creepy one, what with the white-as-snow skin and the painted red smile. "There's a whole lot of variety in the Wheel of Horrors!"

The spinning was slowing down after the masked man spoke. The other guy, the "little failure," as he was dubbed, was looking rather pale. But I would too, probably.

This didn't seem like a very fun thing to watch and I gazed around the crowd. Every pair of eyes was staring at the screens without blinking, as if they'd miss something important in that split second. Some even munched on popcorn and sipped at their sodas, as if it was just a movie in a movie theatre.

I wanted to puke.

"And...it seems the Wheel and our almighty Master has chosen!" My head shot up to see what was going on. Perhaps morbid curiosity made me look to see, but the horror forced me to keep watching.

I should've trusted Crow.

The wheel had stopped on a portion that had a single eye on it.

My stomach plummeted.

From within the ground, something began to rise. A soft, mechanical whirring noise filled the stadium; it was so quiet that I could hear even that.

It was then that I realized the man was chained. That was why he couldn't move. Metal rings trapped his feet to the floor and chains bound his arms to the rings attached to the ground. The silence allowed me to hear the metal clinking against each other; it was a sound I wish I never had heard.

The hole in the ground revealed a seat. Not any old chair, though. It was like a dentist's chair, except with added features such as a spiky, metal mouth brace and metal bands to keep a patient from running the hell away. Like the guy was trying to do now.

"H-help!" He was screaming, and I felt the familiar convulsing of my stomach.

I didn't want to watch. I _couldn't_ watch.

Blood, I could take. Maybe a deep cut or a broken bone, I could stand. The eye, the chair, the tools that lined the side of the chair… Removing someone's eye was too much for me.

I needed to find Zangoose and get out of here.

"Z-Zangoose?" I cried out softly. No one was paying attention, which helped me a whole lot with the searching. No, it didn't. Sarcasm.

I couldn't hear him at all. My skin was starting to crawl.

The silence was pierced by his screaming and whirring machines. I cringed. I wanted him to _stop screaming_; my hands were tensing and I was freezing up.

It was a bad decision.

I crept away from the crowd, skulking along the walls. Hopefully, the shadows would hide me. He was sobbing now, his tears probably mixing with his eye liquids and the blood. I closed my eyes and tightened my fists.

I could only hope to find Zangoose.

Where the hell was he?

Something tinkled when I walked, like a metal cross tapping a bell. I moved to crouch and turned, but before I could scream, something grabbed my arms, pulling them behind me painfully. A cloth was pressed to my face.

Thrashing and attempting to step on the person's toes, I couldn't find anything. A giggle breathed in my ear and my jaw clenched.

The smell of the cloth was sweet. Overbearingly sweet. _Chloroform…._

My vision was spinning, blurring into black at the edges of everything. The colors intensified suddenly, then dimmed into a grayscale, and the only thing I felt was the cloth against my face, the tight grip on my arms, and the throbbing of my blood.

I couldn't see Zangoose. That scared me the most, more than the fact that I was being kidnapped. _Him being taken away from me..._

"Zan...goose…"

Those were the last words I managed to speak before my vision completely blanked out.

**.**

**.**

* * *

_Tell me, temptation, are you leaving me to this ruthless pain?_

* * *

**A/N**: How was thaaat? I'll be updating a little more frequently since it's summer break for me, and nothing to do except for prepare for all the college-level classes I'll have next year... *sighs*

As tradition, I'll be asking questions for you guys to answer, like my Soul Eater fic.  
So...what do you think is happening in the city? :3

I look forward to your reviews!

Edit: I forgot to add this, but please PM me if you don't your OC getting grievously injured/killed! :D

-Vis


	3. And we're stuck

**A/N:** I apologize for the long wait for Chapter 3. Sincerely. I've been a little busy and I'm taking a week-long vacation this week, so I wanted to get this out as soon as possible through my busy summer schedule.

For those that have submitted OCs, I promise they will show up, but it's a gradual kind of introduction, I hope you don't mind. I want this to feel less of a fanfiction, and more like a story!

I only own my own OCs, not your OCs and Pokemon. Enjoy!

* * *

**.**

**.**

Blonde hair glittered in the light as a man walked, accompanied by two Pokemon. One Pokemon cast a large shadow, a Golurk, stomping along as quietly as it could. The other was more petite, delicate, as womanly as a Pokemon could go. Gardevoir hovered lightly over the ground with an alien light surrounding her.

"Today's a nice day, isn't it?" The man laughed brightly, tossing and catching cans of Magikarp meat. "We've got our share of food, and some nice weather, what more can a guy ask for?"

Gardevoir stared at him, her magenta eyes disapproving.

"_That food wasn't supposed to be yours, Jin,"_ she scolded him, her soft voice echoing in the present beings' minds. The Psychic type seemed to frown. "_I tell you to stop coercing those poor people, but you never listen..."_

Jin let out a light sigh. "Gardevoir, don't be like that! Without doing that, I wouldn't have survived for so long, you know. Golurk, you agree with me, right?"

The large Pokemon nodded, stomping its feet. The ground rumbled and the blonde male smiled as he watched Golurk.

"See? It's no problem, then," Jin waved airily and Gardevoir only tilted her head down in silence. They continued walking and, over the horizon, the tall, black tower peeked over the road. He squinted, stopping to stare at the structure. "Gardevoir...Was there a tower here before?"

Golurk copied Jin, while the female Psychic-type murmured, "_Not that I recall...It has been almost a year since we traversed this route, so perhaps a traveling band has somehow gathered the materials to—"_

In the middle of her sentence, she stopped with a jerk, her neck snapping upwards and her eyes reflecting fear. "_Something's coming! Jin, hide!"_

"Huh?"

Before he could react, a blob of large, poisonous, purple gunk shot out from nowhere. Golurk, its yellow eyes flashing, stepped in front of the attack before it could burn Jin. The sound of the sizzling from the Sludge Bomb burning its metallic skin made the blonde flinch.

He gritted his teeth, looking around. "Gardevoir, where are they?"

"_They're just—"_ She phased from place to place, her eyes closed tightly, scanning the area with her Psychic powers. "_They...they have a Dark-type, they've taunted me—I can't—!" _Her eyes flared red as she couldn't use her powers to scan the area.

Jin pressed his lips together, tense, however, it faded away into a small, almost blissful smile. He began to laugh. "These people are so prepared, it seems…We've got to put up a fight, then."

From the road, a Liepard and a Persian slunk up in front of them, their fur bristling slightly. Each had a cattish grin on their feline faces, and Gardevoir growled under her breath, something unintelligible. Jin glanced at her, but in that split second, the Liepard struck.

Throwing black waves of energy at the blonde, the Persian leapt with gleaming claws at Golurk, who was about to defend Jin from the Night Slash, but toppled to the side, knocked off balance by the sudden tackle.

"_Jin!"_

Gardevoir's eyes glowed blue as she shot a Psychic at the Night Slash, effectively spreading the Dark-type move away from her trainer. "_Get away from here!"_

The Liepard turned on her, malicious cat-like eyes glittering.

However, as the blonde male turned, in front of him, two Croagunks crouched, grinning with their hands glowing a poisonous purple. Jin was silent, trying to stare at both of them while backing away slowly.

Golurk fell to the ground with a loud thump, his electric yellow eyes dimming as he was knocked out by the victorious Persian. The cat Pokemon sat with a self-satisfied expression, paws batting at the key-like structure sticking out of Golurk's front. Meanwhile, Gardevoir was struggling against the Cruel Pokemon, her eyes furrowed in concentration.

"_J-Jin!" _She cried out, once she realized the advancing Croagunks were aiming their Poison Jabs for him.

Desperation coloring every cell of her body, Gardevoir let out a blast of purple-blue energy from her body, a wave that knocked the two Croagunk onto their backs, briefly stunned from the strong attack. However, the Liepard only batted at the energy lazily, turning to stare at something behind the Psychic-type.

"_Perhaps you should focus less on your trainer, annnd more on yourself," _the cat Pokemon purred maliciously, its voice dark and silky, but feminine. Jin focused on the collar that was snug around the Liepard's neck. Was it projecting a voice…? Or was that the Liepard herself?

Gardevoir spun around, a Moonblast forming in her hands, but before she could fire it, the Persian pinned her to the ground, the Liepard stalking around the two.

Jin's hands were trembling.

Both his Pokemon were down, and the two feline Pokemon were still limber and ready to battle. All he had was a knife that was clutched tightly in his right hand…

"Are you still going to struggle?" From where the Liepard and Persian slunk from, a man, dressed in all black stood, sunglasses covering his eyes. A greasy smirk was on his face and he tossed a taser up and down in his left hand. "When both your Pokemon are KO'd? If you will, then you're either an idiot or ready to die."

Jin grabbed his Pokemon's Pokeballs and returned them, his eyes hard.

"Oho, making it easier to transport them to the Master? It's like you're tying the ribbon on the present, kid," the man laughed mirthlessly and the blonde only glared at him silently.

"No matter, no matter. Promise I'll make this as _painless as I possibly can."_ The sharp edge of his voice made it all seem like lies and Jin was right. From behind him, the Croagunks jabbed their glowing fists into Jin's sides, making a howl of pain rip itself out of his throat.

As he fell to his knees, clutching at the burnt spots of his clothes and the irritated skin, the man stood over him, looking more like a shadow than a person.

"_G'night, kid."_ Without hesitation, he jammed the taser at Jin, shocking him into submission.

"Now, friends," the man called, raising his hands up slightly. "It's time to bring back the catch to the Master."

He glanced behind him, at a certain patch of bushes. "But before that, we'll take care of the _trash_."

* * *

Pain. Just a throbbing festival of Explouds thumping and screaming in my head.

The first thing I saw when I tried to open my eyes was just a lot of blurry gray. I kept blinking, trying to ignore the headache.

Then I remembered what the hell happened.

"Shit!" I jolted up, but then cringed. I couldn't move my hands and they were tied tightly behind me. My back ached like something terribly, but at least my vision cleared after the pain. I tried to stand up, but I stumbled back down, face-first, painfully. The stone ground really didn't help the headache and I just laid there, my cheek squished against the cool stone. I couldn't do anything anyway. I had bruises all over my body (presumably, since everything hurt), and I just wanted to close my eyes and go back to sleep. I tried not to think about the mess that was my throbbing shoulder.

But Zangoose…

"_Get up."_

I turned my head, my shoulder jutting uncomfortably against the floor.

_What the hell._

A Shiftry. The leaves and woody skin and all. _Talking._ What the heck was it doing in here, and was it telling me to get up?

"_Yes, I told you to get up,"_ The masculine voice was definitely coming from him. How was he talking? I bit down a gasp and struggled to get on my feet. I didn't think I could do it; my hands were tied and I was too tired to clench those abs to get up.

"_Too weak?"_ Shiftry stared at me with his neon yellow eyes. Piercing. I shivered and grunted. Hopefully he would get the hint as I flopped my tied hands. "_Don't think I'm going to untie your hands, human."_

I sighed. So much for that attempt.

He clopped closer, his wooden geta-like shoes like high heels against the floor. Or maybe like a horse. His leaves firmly grasped my arms and I pressed my lips together. His mane of white was scratchy against the ripped parts of my clothing. But he smelled like forests, something I wished I was in. Anything was better than here.

He let out a grunt. "_I wish I could go back to the forest as well,"_ when he spoke, it was slightly wistful, but in a moment's notice, his eyes hardened again.

"_But I obey the Master."_

I forgot that Shiftry could read minds.

"_Yes, you did."_ With a rough pull, Shiftry helped me to my feet, supporting me with an angry expression. If I asked him who the Master was, he'd get angrier. And I wouldn't get a reply anyway.

"_Smart one."_

I couldn't blame him, though. This place made me a little angry, all dreary and cold, so why couldn't he be angry? Whatever he was doing, I was putting more work for him.

But really, wouldn't it be easier to just let me go on my merry way? And find Zangoose, for that matter?

"_I can't do that—"_ His face suddenly changed, morphing into one of surprise. I blinked, staring at him. Did I smell bad or something?

"Sorry, I might be a little dirty from being thrown _mercilessly _onto the ground, so _excuse that_," I replied dryly, turning away.

"_No…"_ Shiftry sniffed me slightly and continued looking confused. "_Never mind. You smell familiar._"

I shook my head. What a weirdo. Shiftry sent me a dirty look and I just laughed sheepishly. He prodded my back with his leaf hands and we began walking. But I was right; it was _dirty_ in here. Maybe it would get cleaner, but I wasn't sure. Right now, the entire tunnel was stone and it was strange, hearing nothing but our footsteps echoing. No noise.

Was it soundproofed? Why did it even need to be soundproofed?

There were small niches in the tunnel. I was probably thrown into one of them, but most of them were empty. It seemed like two of them were occupied by people, males, both of them. They were in different areas, but I presumed they were caught at the same time.

I felt sorry for them.

But I kinda felt more sorry for myself than them. I couldn't afford to care about anyone at the moment. Shiftry glanced at me and I shrugged.

_Can you stop reading my mind, sheesh._

"_I can't help it,"_ He spoke out loud. It almost sounded like he was laughing. "_Without even asking, I can hear your thoughts echoing in my mind. It only gets worse the more people there are."_

Shiftry began to walk faster, poking my sides. The tunnel had cleared and the floor was no longer stone. Beneath our feet, the clattering of the wiry metal walkways echoed around the dome-like chamber. Here, it was much louder. Screaming, wailing, crying, everything seemed to be amplified tenfold and I couldn't help but cringe.

No wonder why Shiftry looked so angry.

Leading me past several barred cells, discomfort settled under my skin. I still had no idea what the heck was going on. Zangoose was still missing, and I was disoriented, and all in all, this wasn't a good scenario for me. The chances of me finding him was getting slimmer each step I took.

From behind the cells, I could make out people-shaped shadows. Some of them were curled up, maybe crying. Others were shaking the bars desperately, their faces twisted and bloody. I bit my lip. It looked like an abusive prison...

"_Here's your cell,"_ Shiftry growled brusquely and opened the gates to a smallish cell. With a flick of his arm, he cut the bonds, then slammed it shut. For a moment, he was still, and I was still. We were looking at each other, trying to understand each others' intentions, but he broke it, choosing to walk away.

I crawled to my feet, my butt aching. Rubbing my bottom, my eyes still needed to adjust to the darkness. However, I soon realized I wasn't alone. I heard a shuffling coming from the corner, where a bunk bed was propped up.

"H...hello?" My voice shook.

No reply, just more shuffling. By now, I could make out shapes and inched forwards. Slowly. I hoped whoever I was sharing this cell with was normal and sane and not a serial killer or something.

Then I made out blonde hair and a familiar childish, heart-shaped face.

Her eyes widened once she recognized me as well.

"You're stuck here too?" I managed to croak out. She nodded, pulling her knees closer to her body. She was sitting in the farthest corner on the bottom bunk, as if she wanted to phase out of existence.

I released a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

"Well, why don't we start off our...erm, re-introduction a little better this time?" I walked closer to her and stuck out a grubby hand. She looked equally grubby so I was sure she wouldn't mind.

"What's your name?" I prompted her, staring at her pointedly.

She muttered something that I couldn't hear and a frown crossed my face.

"I can't hear you," I dropped my hand.

"I said," her voice almost gravelly, "my _name_ is Viola."

My frown was quickly replaced with the sunniest smile I could muster. "A pleasure to meet you, Viola. What a pretty name!" I wanted to avoid the topic of my name. What was my name, really? I could barely remember and could barely gather my thoughts.

I had never really needed one. No one called me, and perhaps, in those years spent traveling, I had forgotten. But if that was the case, Zangoose probably remembered.

Viola briefly made a discontent noise.

"What's...your name?" She asked, averting her eyes.

"Oh, me?" I laughed, trying to cover my panic. Palms sweaty. Names floated in my head like a bunch of confused Spinda. "My name's—"

Before I could blurt out the first word I thought of, the sudden crackling behind me made me jump up in fright. Viola covered her eyes, but peeked through her fingers at whatever made the noise.

When I turned, I realized there was a TV in the room. Admittedly not the best kind, it was kind of a dinky, big, black antique nailed to the wall in a haphazard way. A part of me was afraid it would fall and end up crushing me.

The screen fuzzed out for a moment, but even through the heavily pixelated screen, I could make out a boy. Or a man. He had dots of reddish brown hair that presumably covered his head. He was in a ring, bright with lights and stunningly white. Beside him, a green blob kinda fluttered, but I couldn't tell what it was.

"This is some bad shit, huh? Looks like a 100 pixel icon!" I exclaimed. They were moving at least, but to the center and not out of the ring.

The crowd was cheering wildly, and the intercom buzzed to life.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The lights dimmed in the crowd and the resolution began to clear up. Bandages and blue, hard eyes were all I could see of the man/boy standing there. "We will present our little hero! Our first, and only S-classified _guest_ in our fun game! No one other than,"

Lights flashed and the crowd went wild again, the hoarse yelling and screaming almost blowing my hearing even though it was just through some stupid, shit-quality speakers.

"Vincent! Vincent Feng, a prodigy at surviving and a prodigy at _killing_!"

**.**

**.**

* * *

**A/N:** And another OC is added to the fray, or maybe two more, if you count the "trash!" And our second OC name has come up, and maybe a few more will be introduced next chapter, we'll see!

Hope you enjoyed this chapter; leave your thoughts and comments below on what's gonna happen next chapter~

-Vis


	4. Fire the soul up

**A/N: **I apologize so much for not updating this story! I promise it won't die! Really! No new OCs show up in this chapter, so if you're reading for your own character, do skip this. Otherwise, keep going and enjoy what the "game" really is! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

To **reven228**: Thanks!

To **Dame Rivere**: Glad you're enjoying my story, and thanks for the praise! I'm also happy you like how I wrote Viola; here's to hoping I can do the same with the other characters.

To **Apostle of Regeneration**: I laughed when I read your "summary!" Haha, hope you'll like this chapter as much as the last. I'll try my best to weekly/bi-weekly publish a chapter.

To **Red Alfa**: Thanks!

If you see any errors, please PM/review. There might be several, since this was mostly done and submitted on a phone and basically in two days? Regardless, enjoy! I don't own your OCs, just my own and this storyline.

* * *

**.**

**.**

Confidence literally oozed out of his very being. The TV screen freaked out for a second, but when it came back, the cameras were zoomed right onto him and his cocky smirk. He had a really pretty face, I had to admit. Although some parts of his face were covered by bandages and patches, it only added to the general mystery of this Vincent guy.

Beside him, that green blob turned out to be a Scyther, its wings fluttering and blades gleaming. It seemed comfortable with the entire scenario, as if he had been there for a long time.

But I wasn't surprised. S-rank sounded pretty intimidating and judging by the audience's cheers, it was.

Viola piped up from behind me, "Wonder what he's going to get. He's been pretty lucky, so far."

I blinked, then turned around to look at the blonde confusedly. "What do you mean, _get_? And lucky?"

"He hasn't gotten impossible challenges. Maybe he's cheating...But you don't know where you are?" By her raised eyebrows, she seemed rather surprised at my lack of knowledge.

I pressed my lips together.

"Well, seeing as I wasn't running away from this place like you were, and that I got knocked out basically the second I was in that city, I'd say no." I couldn't help the snark and Viola averted her eyes. I felt a little guilty after saying that, but only a little.

"It's a big game, here. We're just dogs to the rich, used as entertainment. There's a wheel that tells us what we have to do," she murmured, and the loud yelling from the TV made me turn around to face the screen. Viola was right. There, in front of Vincent and his Pokemon, was a large wheel. It looked like something straight off of a casino, flashing lights and bright colors.

It was spinning and spinning, so fast I could barely make out the whirling symbols on it. As it slowed, the pin at the top made a ticking noise and the stadium was so quiet that through the speakers, we could hear the rhythm.

The wheel stopped at a symbol with a flickering flame.

Vincent's face turned sour.

"If you can't do the challenge, then you get a punishment. Win the challenge, and you'll get rewarded," she finished.

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

The announcer's voice boomed again, "And it seems we have our game planned out by the wonderful Wheel! Let's see this if Vincent can withstand the _heat_ of this _burning hot_ game!" The sound of machines grinding and moving revealed small pipes from the ground, before blending into the white of the ground.

Scyther buzzed with discomfort as it peered at the ground, but the Vincent placed a hand on its shoulder.

Three boxes hung from the top of the dome, far, far apart from each other. However, ropes that didn't really look like a traditional natural fiber ropes hung from each box, long enough so that someone could climb it.

I watched, almost spellbound, as a glass cage with two pipes running through it to the very top slowly enveloped the stage. _What the hell are they gonna do?_

"Well, let's explain the rules!" The audience was eerily quiet as they waited; it was more of an eager silence than a dead kind. "Vincent, and not his Scyther, will have to climb those ropes and grab the tags inside the boxes! To win, he has to have all three of them unscathed and in his own possession, not his Pokemon's! Scyther cannot touch the tags at all, and if he comes in contact, both will immediately fail."

The audience suddenly began to boo loudly. Even from the distance, I could see Vincent sneer at the noise.

"Calm down, dear audience. I know what you're here for," the announcer's voice became silky-smooth and almost deadly. "But you know that this isn't some normal collecting game. We have to spice it up somehow to please the people!" His voice gradually grew louder again, then assumed his normal, exuberant tone.

"There are pipes in the floor that will be shooting flames up at our beloved player and his pet. He'll have to dodge those as best he can, and not burn the tags. However, his Pokemon will also be rather preoccupied! In just a moment, we'll be letting out Lampent that will specifically target dear 'ol Scyther. But if their flames hit Vincent, it's not going to be their fault~" There was a pause. The audience was no longer booing and Vincent no longer looked as confident.

"And don't worry, this will be timed, for those wondering. From the top, one pipe expels gas. A very flammable gas, might I add. If Vincent isn't grabbing those tags fast enough, the pipe will leak some out, just to singe him a little so that he speeds up! Once he wins, and if there's an unfortunate disaster with the fires, the other pipe will be responsible for putting it out. After all, we want to have fun, not kill our contestants~"

The audience cheered loudly. I flinched from the sound.

"Are the people here...all sadists?!" I exclaimed, and from behind me, a muffled noise that sounded like affirmation escaped Viola's lips.

"Some hope he'll die. Some hope he'll live. They're all betting on him anyway," she commented disgustedly.

"And now, let's turn the heat up!" With the grating ringing of a bell, there came the sound of whizzing from the screen. Three Lampent flew out from a small square in the middle of the stage, their glowing yellow eyes pinpointing the Scyther floating alone.

Vincent was _fast_.

Apparently he had a running headstart because he was already halfway up the nearest rope. Climbing it seemed like a piece of cake for him. He was literally slithering up it with a fluidity that I could call beautiful. A camera focused in on the concentration in his face and it seemed the female audience was squealing.

Scyther, however, wasn't having such an easy time. The three Lampents had him cornered, but he was miraculously unscathed. One of the ghost-types had a severe gash on one of its limbs, causing it to float sideways.

Suddenly, from underneath Vincent, there was a slight rumbling.

"Is this the fire?" My mouth opened as the beginning of a tongue of flame shot from the ground. For a second, it looked beautiful, a flickering red streak across the screen, but when it faded, Vincent's jacket had been burnt, revealing the shirt he had underneath.

"_Vincent_!" A deep voice called out and Scyther somehow evaded the Lampent to dash towards his trainer. His voices came out as very clear, so I supposed they had headsets or amplifiers connected to them.

Vincent hissed, reaching up into the box with a grimace, "Focus on your battle! I got this, Scyther!"

The insect looked dubious for just a moment, before whirling around and sending a devastating Air Slash that sent the injured chandelier-like Pokemon to the ground. The flame inside its cracked head fizzled out and its eyes dimmed.

Scyther's face seemed to drop, until another rumble shook the stadium.

Vincent was almost at the top of the next box, when a loud hissing noise accompanied the rumbling.

"Shit!" He exclaimed and scrambled to grab the tag. Right as his hand swallowed up the red slip of material, fire burst from various openings in the ground.

A cry of pain echoed through the stadium, and the audience roared with approval.

"Oh ho! What's this? Has our star finally run out of luck?" The announcer seemingly giggled and I clenched my fists. Somewhere along the way of watching Vincent, I had begun to cheer for him. And it hurt, seeing someone get injured. It was strange. I never would've felt sorry for anyone when I was traveling.

I had seen dying people, dead people, dying Pokemon, lying on the ground like roadkill, watching me with their hollow, pleading eyes.

I never once felt pity for them.

_How come now?_

The flames began to die down, the noise of crackling overpowering the mics. I covered my eyes with my hands and peeked from in-between my fingers. As if that would stop the inevitable.

Over the remains of fire, the audience burst into mixed noises; boos and cheers came from the crowd as a singed Scyther was carrying an equally burned Vincent. He was covered in cuts and even from the distance of the camera to his position, I could see the blood dripping onto the white ground.

From the twisted expression of pain on his face, it was probably a serious injury. However, unlike the pair, the other two Lampent were on the ground, their limbs broken and the glass almost completely shattered.

How the flames didn't get absorbed by them mystified me, until I realized that wasn't the fire's fault.

"_Last one. You can do it_," Scyther murmured, then deposited his trainer onto the rope. His wings fluttered weakly and with a grunt, he lowered himself to the ground, where he collapsed with a close of his eyes.

"Hmmm... Shall we add some more enemies...?" The announcer hummed and the crowd shrieked its approval.

But before they could act, Scyther's eyes snapped open with a deadly glint and he hissed, "You send more Pokemon and I'll cut them down faster than the last."

I flinched at the zooming in of his face and his deep, synthetic voice. _What have I gotten myself into? This is worse than anything I've encountered..._

I murmured, "God, they're so ruthless..."

Unbeknownst to me, Viola had stood up while I was absorbed by the TV, surprising me when she whispered back, "Vincent and Scyther are part of the less aggressive in here. You should see the others...They're _gone_."

I gulped and studied her expression. She was serious.

Really serious.

Maybe I would become like them if I was stuck in here for long. It seemed too harsh for me and at this point, I really wished they hadn't taken away Zangoose. _He's really the only thing keeping me sane._

By the time I looked back at the screen, Vincent had struggled his way to the top, and in his hand, he grasped the blue tag tightly. Then, with a half-triumphant, half-exhausted grin, he let go of the rope in his other hand, falling against the ground with a resounding thump that sounded like it would've hurt terribly.

The audience went absolutely bat-shit crazy after that.

Some of the people, as the camera panned around, were screaming obscenities at Vincent, while others, mostly women, shed tears at his survival.

I swallowed my shout of joy. It would've been radically awkward if I made a noise.

The cells around us slowly began to wake up from their stupor, their attention drawn away from the source of entertainment. Silent noise went back to low wailing and moans of distress, and from a distant cell, I heard a low groan, "We're all gonna die...!"

The way the guy's voice trembled and shook almost made my knees weak.

The TV crackled again and in front of the prone Vincent, a wheel emerged from the ground. It was large, pastel-colored, and very unintimidating.

"To our wonderful survivor, Vincent Feng, the Wheel of Fortune comes to grant you one of your many greedy wishes..." The man called and the wheel began to spin wildly.

It slowed, before stopping on a crude drawing of...pills..?

He weakly raised his head and smiled slightly, before basically fainting from exhaustion. Perhaps that ordeal was a lot more tiring than he made it seem.

"And our champion gets an extra dose of painkillers and medication to speed himself recovery along so he can be good as new in his next appearance in Utopia! So, we shall draw the curtains to this show and prepare for tomorrow's spectacular event!" The lights dimmed from the stage as the glass cage rose back up and the audience was illuminated as they strolled their way out.

Leather, feather boas, lavish jewelry glinting in the light, I ground my teeth as I watched them leave. They were so lucky. _So, so_ lucky.

But none of them had Pokemon and those thoughts disappeared.

I was probably the lucky one, blessed with the chance to meet Zangoose, to trust and feel trust from a Pokemon.

From outside the cell, I heard the echoing of footsteps and the rolling of wheels. Dashing to the bars, I peered through, squinting in the oddly artificial darkness in hopes of seeing whoever was coming. _Did they give back your Pokemon after sticking that voice projector in? Maybe? _I hoped to all the Legendaries that they would be as generous as my fantasies.

But as the figures passed, my hopes were crushed.

Two stretcher beds passed, one with Scyther on it and the other with Vincent. His blue eyes seemed to glow in the dark and as I nearly stuck my entire head through the bars, our eyes met.

He seemed to smirk at me. The way a person does when they know who you are; it was _that_ kind of smile.

I stumbled backwards, confusion blurring my mind and the headache from earlier returned full-force.

"You okay?" Viola stared at me.

She seemed slightly concerned. _Could I trust her? The real question was, could I trust myself?_

"It's...nothing!" I mustered up a smile and walked back to the bars to glance at the clock. 10 PM. "I don't know what'll happen tomorrow, but I think it's a good idea to have a good rest.

The blonde nodded, then flopped back onto the bed in silence.

Surprisingly, the moaning and screaming had died down. Perhaps they were starting to get drowsy.

I climbed to the top bunk and grimaced.

Dust, dirt, and more dust. The blanket was gray from no one using it. I choked back a violent cough when I fluffed it up.

Viola coughed from the lower bunk and I threw a "sorry!" back at her. The bed was hard, almost like sleeping on a rock. A log in the forest would've been better.

Zangoose would've been with me. The air would be fresh and not dank and disgusting. I closed my eyes, remembering memories, or at least, what I had left of them.

_Things seemed to just stop at around when I first started my journey. But I remembered my first encounter with Zangoose. Hoenn, was it? Yes, I used to live in Hoenn._

_Did I have a brother? I can't remember. Memories are impermanent. They change and fade and are so easily lost._

_Is it better to remember, or to forget?_

**.**

**.**

* * *

**A/N: **Uhhhh, how was it? I hope not too bad! Thanks to **Generic Person the Fifth** for sparking the fire to write again! I was probably in a slump and quite busy, but her PM really inspired me.

Her new Pokemon fic is really cool as well, and SYOC, so if you're reading this, go check hers out as well! (I honestly think it's cool! She didn't tell me to advertise, haha. And this is an A/N, so I can say whatever I want, right?)

Ah this turned out to be really long..

Questions of the chapter are:

What do you think about Vincent? Your opinion on his character, his mysteriousness, his (maybe?) connection to our still nameless protagonist...

Through PM, is it okay for your OC's Pokemon to be grievously injured/hurt? If so, which?

A lot of OCs will be showing up next chapter, so see you then!

-**Vis**


End file.
